More than ever before, the Renaissance stands as one of the defining moments in
world history. Between 1400 and 1600, European perceptions of society, culture,
politics and even humanity itself emerged in ways that continue to affect not on
ly Europe but the entire world. This wide-ranging exploration of the Renaissance
sees the period as a time of unprecedented intellectual excitement and cultural
experimentation and interaction on a global scale, alongside a darker side of r
eligion, intolerance, slavery, and massive inequality of wealth and status.